Much has been written about the degree of truth depicted in last year’s Oscar-winning “The Hurt Locker.” While its account of soldiers defusing bombs in Iraq gave audiences an idea of the visceral mayhem of modern warfare, the film was, ultimately, just a Hollywood fiction. As much as we celebrate expert battle sequences (the opening minutes of “Saving Private Ryan,” etc.), there will always be a wall between the audience and what really happens to those on the front lines.

The astounding new documentary, “Restrepo,” brings the audience deeper into war than any film before it. It follows real soldiers in real battle, without any Hollywood politicizing or scripted dramatization.

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